


Far, Far, and Away

by Ellensama



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - 1980s, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Universe Alteration
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 14:25:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6523774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellensama/pseuds/Ellensama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on AU prompt: Ben Solo is actually an archaeologist from Earth, circa 1980s, and finds himself teleported to Jakku and is found by the ever-mysterious, Rey.  He’s desperate to find a way home, she’s desperate to see her family again… but what if that’s what they’re destined to be for one another?</p>
<p>Tags and rating will be adjusted as the story progresses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Land of Confusion

**Author's Note:**

> This [AU is based completely off of an idea by themultishipperlife](http://themultishipperlife.tumblr.com/post/141936830839/i-imagine-this-as-an-au-where-ben-solo-is-actually) and will be greatly expanded upon by me in this story.

After Ben Solo wakes the first sound he hears is his watch, ticking urgently. It counts the seconds as they pass while he lays flat on his back, staring up at a burning blue sky from the bottom of a hole. Dust floats before him like tiny dancers in the wind, drifting down on to his skin and glasses. He sit up suddenly, coughing hard into one of his hands as the other brushes away the sand that’s fallen on his lap. The fit passes but his fingers rush to inspect himself, to ensure there is nothing broken, or bleeding. Reassured that he’s still whole, Ben looks for his camera and his bag, the two most important possessions in his life. He’s thankful when spots them by his hip, looking visibly to be in one piece, just coated in a heavy layer of dust and sand much like himself.    
  
Picking up the Nikon, his fingers quickly brush the sand away before checking over the equipment. Underneath the lens cap Ben finds that the glass is undamaged. For that bit of good luck he lets out a small and grateful sigh. After replacing the cap, he slips the camera strap over his neck and sets his bag on to his shoulder. Standing up in the hole there isn’t much to look at, just plain and well worn stone walls encircling him on all sides. Above the sound of a plane rumbles in the sky, drawing his attention upward. Using his hand to block out the blinding sunlight, Ben tries to hopefully spot a thin contrail. The sound grows nearer and Ben then notices a shape in the sky, but it’s not like anything he’s seen before flying. Listening to it roar upwards, it breaks the sound barrier, leaving a puff of a cloud behind before it then slips up and away. Vanishing into a tiny dot.   
  
“Where am I?” he breathes out.   
  
The hole itself doesn’t look impossible to scale. Ben has taken his fair share of falls before in more than half a dozen different countries, he knows exactly what he can handle. Touching the stone it feels surprisingly warm, but it looks sturdy enough to hold his weight. Pushing his side bag to his back, he lets his fingers find an edge to grip onto, and then jumps while lifting his body up. His boots dig into small dips in the wall as he pushes off of them, carefully climbing his way out.    
  
Getting over the top is a bit tricky as the sand slips down past him, but Ben is able to carefully lift his body up and over the lip. Rolling on to the golden sand, it burns at his exposed hands immediately, forcing him quickly on to his feet. Pushing his glasses higher up on his nose, he looks around at a vast desert landscape that is clearly  _ not _ jungles of Burma. Trying to recall what exactly had happened causes a sharp and pounding pain to throb at his head. Ben lets out a quick hiss as his fingers rub at his temples, trying to soothe it away. What little he’s able to recall is nothing more than a blur of shapes and sounds, nothing clear enough to piece a picture together.    
  
Turning around in a circle there is only sand as far as he can see, and what looks to possibly be a mountain far in the distance. It looks unnaturally shaped, clearly unnatural, causing Ben to have the passing silly thought it might not be a mountain at all. Being the only point on the horizon that isn’t just endless sand dunes, he starts to walk towards whatever it is. Hope blossoms that when he’ll reach it he’ll have a better idea of where he is, and how he got lost.

  
The walk itself is relatively easy going, Ben has crossed deserts before and his boots are sturdy for really any environment. He’s still careful with each step, knowing how bad a fall can be with no help around. The sand is rather fine and feels unforgiving, but his footing remains sure. While he walk, Ben starts notice none of the normal signs of life, even for a desert. There are no plants, or even small insects scurrying about, it’s just endless sand. To keep his spirits up he sings along to the last song he was listening to, from a mixtape of Bob Marley that a friend of him had shoved into his bag as a gift.   
  
“Come on and stir it up, little darling, stir it up.”    
  
To try and recall the lyrics the best he can becomes a fun exercise, but the lyrics die on his tongue when Ben reaches the top of a dune. Getting a good look at where he’s been walking to, he sees the mountain isn’t a mountain. It’s something else. Something broken and shoved down deep into the sand. Whatever it is it’s massive, and beyond anything in scale he’s seen before. Recalling the time he saw a supertanker Ben can tell this is nowhere even close in comparison of size, it’s so much bigger.   
  
“This like something out of Star Trek,” he breathes out and wipes at the sweat collecting at his brow. “But  _ pointier _ .”   
  
A breeze thankfully blows by but it’s barely cooler than the air currently. He still turns his face into it and hears a new soft rumble on the wind. Looking around Ben spots what it is, a motorcycle moving far too quickly across the sand. It zips along at some amazing speed along the horizon, the heat coming off the ground giving it the illusion that it’s flying.    
  
“Wow,” is all Ben can say before he hurries down the other side of the dune.   
  
If he can keep it in sight Ben knows it’ll give him a chance to find the person on it, and then hopefully some help. With the speed the bike is moving at it’s a long shot, but from where he’s standing it appears to be heading to the same location he already was. Hurrying as quickly as his feet can move safely, Ben spots its red color stopping, sees a figure get off of it and scurry up into the giant ship looking thing.    
  
It still takes him some time to reach the motorcycle and as Ben stands before it, he now knows it's not a bike. Slowly walking around the machine, he stares in awe at how it just hangs freely in the air. Bending down he looks under it, then passes his hand through the air between the ground and it.   
  
“Ok, this is seriously cool,” he huffs with a smile before looking up at the giant ruins.   
  
There’s a foot trail that leads up into a massive round tunnel at the top of a rather large hill. Reaching into his back pocket, Ben pulls out a handkerchief and wipes more sweat from his forehead.   
  
“Alright Ben, do you go up there and try and find them, get to explore something that just looks wickedly cool, or play it safe and wait down here?” he asks himself.   
  
The wind blows by again, pushing his long hair about in his face. Shoving it haphazardly back, he smiles brightly up at the choice he’s just made, as if it was really a choice actually between the two. Moving to leave the red motorbike, he starts up the hill determined.   
  
“Mom always said I was reckless,” he grunts as the sand slips, making it harder for him to climb. “Can’t let her down about that now,”

  
At the top Ben finds himself out of breath, his jacket which has been keeping the sun off his skin, is now just holding in his sweat. Taking it off he rests for a moment, then digs about for his thermos out of his bag. Half empty already from previously using it, he just takes a small sip to wet his mouth and lips. From the top of the hill he can see a field of broken things littering the sand, poking up like scattered tombstones, broken and rusting.   
  
“Christ,” he curses before putting his water back away. “Looks like there was a war here or something. Are those  _ planes _ ? Where the  _ hell _ am I?”   
  
There’s a noise that comes from behind, a distinct clang of metal on metal distantly. Turning away from the landscape, Ben starts his strange walk forward into the belly of something. Whatever he’s walking into has everything made at a huge scale, but the longer he moves further in the more he start’s to vaguely recognize parts of it. There are pipes and wires, metal walkways and rows of metal looking doors. It all appears rusted and unused for a long time if he had to take an educated guess. Even as old as it looks, it’s far beyond anything he’s ever seen. His brand new Walkman in his bag seems more fitting in an ancient tomb compared to what must be the advanced technology of this strange new place.   
  
“Did I fall through time or something?” whispers Ben who then shakes his head at the notion.   
  
He does start to wonder if his friend Dale’s obsession with Doctor Who was rubbing off on him, he feels even more foolish that he takes a quick look around for a blue phonebox. Touching his temple Ben thinks about how he might be in a coma, or maybe this was some strange drug trip someone has slipped him at dinner. What he can’t tell is what is more terrifying of a thought, that everything he’s seeing is real, or he’s dreaming this all so vividly.   
  
Following a walkway until it’s end, Ben looks out over a large open area. Under the sand that’s poured in he can see white lines marked into the flooring. It’s strange reminiscent of photos he’s seen of aircraft carriers.   
  
Putting a hand to his mouth, Ben calls out, “ **Hello** ! Is anyone  **here** ?!”    
  
There’s a banging suddenly, soft and distant again. Ben thinks he’s heard it clearly enough to pinpoint what direction it might of come from. Moving cautiously he finds a broken staircase and shuffles down the steps silently until he’s standing on the hanger deck. There are broken pieces of what he can’t tell everywhere, but they all look useless. With so much to see, Ben almost misses the heavy rope hanging in the air. Reaching out he touches it, then looks up into the hole in the ceiling it vanishes through.    
  
“Hello?” he yells up and then feels the rope wiggle in his hand.   
  
Taking a quick step back a body suddenly appears, sliding down at him on the rope. Ben watches them hit the ground and before he has a chance to say a word, the end of a staff is pointed at his face.    
  
“Quiet,” snaps a woman’s voice from behind a cloth face mask and goggles. “Who are you? You don’t belong here.”   
  
Putting his hands up, Ben laughs awkwardly. “That we can agree on.” 

 

Reaching around the staff slowly, he holds his hand out for her to shake. “I’m Ben Solo, lost archeologist apparently. I was wondering if you could tell me  _ where _ I am?”   
  
The woman looks him over and then takes a slow step back, moving to hang her staff from her back. “How’d you get all the way out here? You should have never left Niima Outpost if that’s where you wandered in from.”   
  
As time passes and she doesn’t make a move to shake his hand, Ben slowly pulls it back then motions to her face. “Maybe you should take that off, it’s a little strange talking to face I can’t see.”    
  
Standing up a little taller, she adjusts the heavy looking bag on her shoulder first. Reaching up she pulls down the mask, then lifts her goggles up. Ben’s mouth opens slightly as he’s a bit taken back by the sight of the woman. There’s a hard but kind look to her eyes as she stares at him with an untrusting gaze. He’s half tempted to ask to take her photo but he’s quick to focus on the more important things at hand.   
  
“Thanks,” Ben says with a small smile. “So what’s Niima Outpost? I’ve never heard of it or been there. Last I remember I was working a site in Burma, I woke up in this hole in the desert. I mean it’s pretty clear I’m not in Burma anymore, right?”   
  
“Where or what is Burma?” she asks with thin narrow eyes.   
  
“Burma?” repeats Ben. “It’s in southern Asia, you know, jungles and temples, not really a desert anywhere near it.”   
  
“Wherever you’re from you should go to Niima Outpost and try and get back there.” The woman’s voice is sharp and to the point, Ben can feel his help starting to slip away. “There’s usually someone passing through who you could get a ride in exchange for work. You’re not the first person to wander too far or get booted off a ship, but you are the strangest I’ve seen.”   
  
“Strange?” laughs Ben before looking himself over. “I don’t think I look that strange.”   
  
“I have work to do but I can show you in direction of the outpost,” she says before moving to walk past him.   
  
Watching her go, he quickly follows from behind but keeps a good few feet between them. “You never told me you’re name, and thank you, for the help.”   
  
“It’s Rey,” she says plainly.   
  
“Rey,” says Ben trying out her name. “That’s pretty. So what is this place?”   
  
Walking up the staircase he came down, she moves more easily than himself and as if she’s climbed the same staircase hundreds of times before. Her feet miss any holes and her arms reach out to grab at the railings without thinking.   
  
“You’re in the graveyard, it’s only a place for people like me,” says Rey flatly.   
  
“People like you?” he asks as he jumps over a hole.   
  
“Scavengers.”    
  
“Oh, well, I’m a bit like that too,” he chuckles. “I collect and research old things myself. All over the world matter of fact. I would love to just explore this whole place but I don’t even know what it is.”   
  
At the top of the stairs Rey spins around and looks at Ben strangely. “It’s a crashed Imperial-class star destroyer, anyone who comes to Jakku knows about it.”    
  
“Star destroyer? Jakku?” he repeats as he ascends the final step, trying out the foreign words. “Is that like the name of the country, or town? County maybe?”   
  
“Planet,” says Rey with a thin glare pointed at him. “You’re on the planet Jakku.”    
  
Turning on her foot she walks away briskly, Ben is frozen in shock. “ _ P-Planet _ ?” he sputters.   
  
“Who ever let you wander off is a  _ fool _ , you clearly must have hit your head.”   
  
Rushing to catch up with her Ben looks around with new eyes, and it starts to click in his mind he’s inside something very alien. “Are you trying to tell me I’m not on Earth anymore?”    
  
“Earth?” she echoes. “Is that the planet you’re from? I’ve never heard of it before.”   
  
“What do you mean you’ve never heard of Earth before?” says Ben a little more loudly. “Look if this is some joke or something, it’s not funny anymore.”    
  
Stopping at the edge of the hill back down, she turns and looks back at him. “I’m sorry if I haven’t heard of your home world but it’s a rather large galaxy out there. Come on, get on.”   
  
There’s a sheet of metal she’s standing next to and when Rey sits down on it Ben can see she’s intending to use it as a sled. Slowly walking over he takes a seat behind her, it takes a bit of shifting to fit his long legs in but he fits.   
  
“Is this safe?” he asks.   
  
Looking over her shoulder, Rey flashes him a smile. “I do this everyday, just hold on tight.”   
  
“This has to be a dream,” he mutters but then grips on tightly to Rey as she pushes them off.   
  
Slipping down across the sand, Ben can’t help but recall sledding when he was a kid. His dad would always run a few steps before pushing him down the big hill, one they would have drive around looking for the right one. The ride ends quickly and Rey gets up with no fanfare before hurrying over to the floating red motorbike. She starts to pull out parts from her bag and then stuffs them into a net hanging off the side. Shoving her staff in as well, she turns to Ben and points in a direction.   
  
“Niima Outpost is that way, just try not to wander off again,” says Rey as she holds her arm out steadily. “You’ll find most people here will rob you blind and leave you to die if you’re not careful.”   
  
“Where are you going?” asks Ben as he watches her climb on top of the bike looking machine.   
  
“To Niima, then my home. I have to go collect my portions before sunset.”    
  
Blinking up at her lost and confused, he feels reluctant to let the only contact he’s had so far go. “You can’t give me a ride too?”   
  
Pulling down her goggles, Rey frowns at him. “How did you get here?”   
  
“I told you, I woke up in a hole over that way,” he says pointing in the direction he’s walked from. Rey looks up towards it. “Anything before that is a blur. Honestly it feels like I’ve woken up in some strange Sci-fi story. I don’t even know how your bike is doing that?”   
  
Looking down Rey’s head jerks about, looking for a problem she’s missed. “Doing what?”   
  
“Floating,” says Ben amazed. “I’ve just… never seen anything like that. Or where we just came out of.”   
  
Slowly Rey lifted her head as her mouth hangs open in surprise. “And I thought Jakku was backwater planet,” she mutters as Ben is puzzled by her meaning.   
  
“Come on,” Rey sighs. “Climb up and I’ll give you a ride.”   
  
His eyes light up as his feet are quick to move. “Thanks, seriously you’ve been a great help.”    
  
Pushing her body as forward as she can, Rey then points out where he can put his feet. “Just don’t move around too much or you’ll burn your legs on the exhaust.”   
  
Grabbing on to the side of the seat Ben carefully sets himself down. “Just like riding a bike, yeah I can do that,” he mutters.   
  
The engine rumbles to life and Rey sets the speeder in motion, flying them both across the sand. Holding on as tightly as he can, Ben then scans the passing wreckage as they fly by. In the distant he can see other large objects peeking out in a variety of different sizes. It does look very much like a graveyard the longer they pass it. When they approach what must be the outpost is when things truly become weird for Ben. They fly past a large looking creature that’s dragging a pile of parts, he can only stare in utter shock. When they come to a stop Ben’s eyes look in almost every direction, quickly finding more and more alien looking beings moving about.   
  
Reaching out he grabs Rey by the shoulder, she turns around looking quite crossed. “What is this place?” he whispers clearly frightened.   
  
“Niima outpost,” says Rey as she glares down at his hand, willing him silently to remove it.    
  
Ben quickly pulls his hand back, quick to notice her disapproval. Looking at another large alien, his jaw quivers, “What the hell is that thing?”   
  
“That’s very rude to say,” scoffs Rey before moving to get down off the speeder.   
  
“ _ Rey _ ,” says Ben urgently before joining her on the ground. “I’m serious, what is this place? What are these alien looking things walking around? How did your bike just fly like that? Why do I get the feeling we just came from a giant space ship? I… I don’t understand any of this.”    
  
Pulling her staff free from her speeder, Rey stops and then turns to look up at him. “You’re telling the truth,” she asks in a whisper. “Aren’t you?”   
  
“Yes, yes I am, and I’m really scared right now. Scared I’m in a coma or dead, because this, none of this is real. Aliens and spaceships, they don’t exist,” he says in a clear panic. “I’m just an archeologist for God sakes, I looks at rocks and broken pots all day.”   
  
Taking a quick step closer to him, she leans in and continues to whisper, “Are you telling me you’ve never seen an alien before?”   
  
“No, no one has,” he mutters back.    
  
“I don’t have time for this right now,” Rey growls before turning to free the net on the side of her speeder.   
  
“Where are you going?” asks Ben moving in close to her side.    
  
“I told you, I have work, and I need to get my portions otherwise I don’t eat tonight,” she snaps.   
  
Reaching into his bag Ben digs around and pulls out a can. “I got food, can I give you this if you just help me. Please, just explain to me what is going on.”   
  
Taking a quick glance down at the offered can, Rey pushes his hand to put it back into his bag. “Don’t do that,” she angrily mutters. “You really  _ are _ clueless, aren’t you?”   
  
“Yes,” nods Ben eagerly. “Look, I’ll give you what I have and you can keep that stuff until tomorrow. Just help me tonight, and I’ll get out of your hair in the morning. I promise.”   
  
Looking between the strange tall man and her haul, Rey then looks to the sun, measuring how much light is left. After weighing her options, she looks to his bag. “How much do you have in there?”   
  
“I don’t know,” he mutters before going digging about within it. “I got a few cans of beans and lentils I keep on me. A bag of nuts, some fruit bars, and just stuff that won't spoil.”   
  
“Did you say nuts?” utters Rey with a bright interest.   
  
Pulling out the bag he shows her the edge of it. “Yeah, a whole bag.”    
  
“Put that away,” she hisses while looking around to see if anyone is watching them. “I’ll help you, but I’m turning this stuff in now. Just, stay out of trouble and I’ll take you back to my home after I’m done.”    
  
“Can I help you at all?” he asks shutting his bag back up.   
  
“No,” says Rey with a wave of her hand for him to hush. “Just go have a look around or something, I won't be long.”   
  
Pulling her net behind her, Ben watches her drag it off slowly but steadily. He stands next to the speeder, unsure what to do or even how far he should walk away. People and aliens are roaming about, all going their own way with parts in their hands, or being dragged behind them on metal sleds. He takes his first hesitant step away, and then another. Moving further with each step, he let’s his curiosity that has always been his biggest drive carry him further into the outpost.   
  
Even with new mysteries calling to him Ben takes a quick glance back to where Rey was moving. He see’s her stop and then get into a line leading to a small metal shack. The sunlight is turning thin, twisting the world into a warm orange red, golden hour. Without hesitation, Ben reaches for the camera at his side and pulls the cap off, lifting it next to his eye. Twisting the zoom lens the face of Rey comes into view. She looks tired but her eyes are strong and sharp. Turning to look his way as if sensing his gaze, Ben snaps a photo just as their eyes meet through the glass. She gives him a questioning stare at what he’s doing but Ben just lowers the camera, hopes it isn’t all a dream so he can keep at least that one photo of her.


	2. I Cannot Believe It’s True

Navigating an alien world isn’t easy for Ben, especially when he doesn’t know any of the rules it moves by. For one moment he even wonders about catching a virus like in War of the Worlds. Although he quickly recalls that ended with the aliens getting a cold, not the humans. Was he the alien now? Pulling his glasses off he wiped at his eyes, trying to shake the fear and anxiety growing in his mind. A part of Ben still wanted to hold out hope that it’s all just a dream, but it feels too real. Something deep within his bones tells him this is certainly not some fantasy.

Placing his frames back upon his face he sees a large man with deep grey skin, they grunt at him, speaking low in some strange language. It’s nothing like anything he has ever heard before and his mind tries uselessly grasp at any familiar that isn’t there. The grey alien waves at him to move, his intention finally clear of what he wanted from Ben. Taking a quick step back he easily gives the right of way while trying to blend into a nearby tent pole. Most of the conversations around him were in tongues he couldn’t understand, but a few surprisingly he could. How that was possible was beyond Ben’s comprehension, but the words he did know were benign enough. Most of the content of it was on the cost of things and any tips for where to find better parts to salvage. There was a few mentions of rumors, of some First Order out in the far reaches of space, but Ben couldn’t make much sense of that without any further context.

With his camera still in hand, he took a few more shots just to pass the time. Most were of the people around him, these strange new aliens that were vastly different in size and shape. As the remaining sunlight held out Ben lined up one shot and hoped would turn out well, it was of an older woman. She was sitting at a bench with a brush and a metal part in her hands. Watching her dish out a harsh scrubbing  upon it with her thin old fingers gave Ben the sense that life is harsh on this world, but he’s seen women like her before. Ladies far into their twilight still forced to earn their daily bread. He can’t help but wonder if they actually eat bread in space.

The elderly woman stops for a moment and Ben breathes out slowly, knowing the picture is about to happen. Glancing up at the sun she looks bone tired, years upon years hanging as heavy wrinkles around her face. Her eyes look dull, having long lost the shine of youth and passion to them, but the last lingering bit of light still reflects within them. Ben takes the photo then slowly he lowers his camera. He doesn’t look away, too caught up in the moment that he completely misses a smaller body moving towards his side.

A gravely voice begins to yell at him, scaring Ben so much that he knocks right into a table. There’s a new alien now pointing, waving what he assumes to mean is to get away while shouting indecipherable words. Ben’s hands move on auto pilot, putting the lens cap back on as he hurries away, not wanting to start any further trouble. Walking back to Rey’s flying bike, and without thinking, he looks towards where she should be. Rey is thankfully next in line and Ben’s shoulders sink as his hands itch to be doing something, a nervous energy pushing him to not remain still even if he knows he should. 

Digging out his journal he feels instantly more relaxed the moment his fingers touch it’s spine. After rummaging for a pencil he finds the tip thankfully still intact. Flipping through the last few pages he’s worked on, he reviews the notes he’s taken and even stares longingly at the sketches within. Rendered on the paper to the best of his ability are images of temples, pictures Ben had felt compelled to replicate over his meals mostly. A sense of pride does fill him, it holds back some of the new confusion he has to endure on this strange new world. The time he was going to spend in Burma Ben was very proud of earning the chance to do so. The country itself had not been easy to get into, and even harder to convince a university there to take him under their guidance. There was so much turmoil going on, but by some miracle the stars aligned and he had permission to conduct his research for six whole months.

All of that was gone for now, something had gone awry and now he was suppose to believe he was standing on some far away planet. His pencil hovered over the next free page, the emptiness of the paper as empty as his hope. Not wanting to give up, Ben still felt so far out of his depth that he was surprised the ground didn’t just open up and swallow him whole. Slowly his fingers moved, lightly at first, as the rough lines of the outpost took shape. It didn’t matter how right it looked, it only mattered he was there and he was documenting it’s existence.

 

* * *

 

“Where is the map?”

A voice, mechanical and distorted, wakes the man currently tied down with it’s question. The prisoner's eyes roll back and then around in a circle, trying to find which way to point. A black figure, blurred at first, steps closer and brings horror with it. The captive fixes his gaze forward, towards the man in black and screams.

“That will do you no good,” the cloaked figure says coldly.

Putting up a useless struggle while the man in black sighs, the cloaked figure circles his prisoner with a hidden but studying gaze. The shouts die down into hard grunts by the time he comes back around to the man’s front, staring at his face flushed from his effort.

“I won’t tell you!” the captive shouts. “I know who you are!”

Kylo Ren lifts his chin, his face and gaze hidden safely under his mask. “If you do then you know it’s better if you just tell me rather than fight.”

“Never!”

Lifting his gloved hand into the air, Kylo bends his fingers slightly, mentally assaulting the other man. The prisoner screams again, this time from real pain that permeates his mind.

“Where is the map?” Kylo asks again.

“I… I don’t know,” comes out between hard drawn in breathes.

Pushing his way further into the man’s mind, Kylo can feel there is something he’s hiding. “But you know who does,  _ tell me _ .”

A low groan shakes from the captive as his head rolls back, knocking into the headrest behind him. “I rather… die.”

Closing his hand further, the power around the other tightens like a noose. “That can be arranged,” hisses Kylo.

A struggle ensues back and forth until a name, unassuming but important none the less, slips past quivering lips. Before the shock and horror of what the captive man has done can fully take him over, Kylo waves a hand and his head rolls one way, hanging uselessly. Not wasting any time on the dead or their expired bodies, Kylo sweeps out of the room and then into the hall. Like always Hux is waiting for him, reminding Kylo of a dog waiting for its next command.

“Did you find it?” asks Hux falling into step with the Knight of Ren.

“Of course but a name won’t be enough to find this man with the map.”

This bit of news has the general turning to look up at Kylo which is quickly ignored. “What makes you said that?”

Stopping in the hall Kylo takes some satisfaction it’s also causes the general to stop as well. Any control, even something as small as this, gives him a sense of being superior to Hux.

“I know the man we are searching for,” Ren explains.

“What’s the problem then?” demands the General in that calm but strict tone the man has perfected.

Taking a moment to go through his memories is anything but pleasant, especially when Kylo recalls the age he was the last time saw the man he’ll now have to search for. His control only slips for a moment, his rage and anger flaring brightly. As if somehow sensing it, the General leans his head just slightly away, putting some instinctual distance between them. 

The moment passes and Ren is able to get his emotions back under control. “The problem is minor, it will just simply take me longer to draw him out but I  _ will _ find him.”

“Who Ren?” Hux presses.

“Lor San Tekka.”

 

* * *

 

“What are you doing?” asks Rey as she tries to look over the top of Ben’s journal.

Snapping the book shut, he looks up in surprise at having lost track of the time. “Nothing,” Ben says quickly. “Just taking down some notes.”

Rey pulls away, giving him a wary look, but relents from asking any other questions. Holding up two packs of something green in plastic, she flashes him a quick and surprisingly warm smile.

“I have dinner, ready to go?”

Putting his journal into his bag by feel, Ben finds it suddenly hard to look away from her. “Go where?” he asks.

“To my home,” explains Rey.

The direction they ride in is the same way they have traveled to reach the outpost, in the distance the fallen Star Destroyer passes them as Rey keeps going. Deeper out into the sand they travel, the landscape showing less and less signs of anything else. Pointing out ahead Rey yells over the wind, informing him they are almost there. Out in the sand lies something large and made of metal. To Ben’s mind from a distant it reminds him of roadkill, a beast fallen by something greater than itself and left to rot where it lays.

When they arrive it’s just as strange as the rest of the things he’s seen today. The mystery of this new world continues further when Rey motions for Ben to follow her into a hole at the foot of the thing. After watching out for his head, Ben finds a strange room inside. There are things littered about the place, a hammock for one hanging freely in a corner, but what catches his attention is one of the far walls.

Making herself busy Rey moves with all the relaxed pace of someone who is actually home. He’s seen his fair share of dwellings, and parts of it remind him of a few places on Earth, but her home is still something very new. The lines on the far wall still hold his gaze, drawing him to it until his hand touches the etched marks. As silent as a cat Rey moves, standing next to Ben with something in her hand. As she bends over to make another line, he watches it all silently, getting the distinct feeling this is some daily ritual for her.

“What’s that for?” he asks.

Lifting the pen tool she’s used to make her new mark with, Rey stares at it. “It’s how many days I’ve been here, and this day is over now.”

“So you aren’t from here?”

“No,” says Rey firmly but something about her tone feels hollow to Ben. “My family left me here, and I’m waiting for them to return.”

“That must be hard,” he says softly. “Waiting that is.”

Looking up at Ben, he sees Rey’s eyes are young and old at the same time, a sight that takes his breathe away. Looking him over she seems to study him for change, which he finds only more than fair for her to do so.

“It is,” she says, an easy answer to a complicated question. “But they’ll come someday, I know they will.”

Unsure what to say back, he just nods and watches her walk away, moving back to prepare what must be a meal. Keeping his distant, Ben silently watches her with a studious fascination until she carefully hands him a plate of something. Looking down at it he sees it’s mostly green and steaming, but there also looks to be a piece of bread that’s been torn in half.

“So they do have bread in space,” Ben chuckles to himself.

“What?” asks Rey.

“It’s nothing,” he replies with a shake of his head. “Thank you for this, and the effort you must have gone through to earn it.”

Seeming to approve of his appreciation with a gentle smile, Rey gives a jerk with her chin for him to follow her. Moving outside she takes a seat in the sand, putting her back against the metal outside of her home. Ben copies Rey but he doesn’t sit overly close, instead he keeps himself an arm’s length away, giving her a good amount of personal space.

Having to use his fingers to eat isn’t anything he’s a stranger to but the bread helps to scoop up the green bits. As he eats slowly Ben hopes the food won't kill him or make him sick. He finds the meal to be pretty bland, the taste is nothing in particular. Of course needing the substance he eats it completely, knowing better than to insult his host.

It’s just as unsurprising when Rey finishes her food quickly, even going as so far as to lick the plate. After finishing his own plate not long after, Ben keeps to the decorum Rey’s displayed and does the same, licking his plate just as clean as hers. She seems approves of his actions with a look in her eyes and takes his plate from him wordlessly to set down in the sand. Using the grit to clean them both, Rey lets them be and shifts her gaze to the sky above.

“You said you come a world called Earth, is that correct?” she questions Ben quietly.

“Yes,” he says in return, his voice just as soft as hers.

Turning her head away from the stars just starting to peek in the sky, Rey silently watches him. He easily meets her gaze but the longer he’s under it, the longer Ben feels his insides twist about. Unsure what she’s look for within him, he remains still, letting her have her fill. After letting out a soft hum, one that give nothing away to as what Rey is thinking, she looks out over the sandy horizon.

“Tell me about it,” she says. “I only know of this place and it’s endless sand. What’s your world like?”

Pulling his knees to his chest, Ben settles his long arms over the tops of them. “Earth is an interesting place but I’m going to assume like any other world out there, it has it’s share of bad and good. I’ve seen more of it than I think most, I travel around a lot for work. I personally think it’s wonderful, even with all the bad bits.”

Copying him slightly, Rey gathers her limbs in closer and rests her head on top of her knees. “What’s it look like?”

“From space it’s mostly blue and green. There’s more water covering the surface than land, about sixty or seventy percent if I can remember that high school fact right. We have one moon, that we call… Oh well I don’t know if it has a name. Everyone just calls it the moon.”

A little huff comes from Rey and she turns her head to look at Ben again. “That’s not very original.”

“I know,” he laughs before sweeping a hand through his hair. “Like I said, good and bad. Some names I think we got right like Saturn or Venus.”

“What’s that?”

“Other planets in our solar system,” explains Ben. “There are nine total - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.”

A bit of confusion crosses Rey’s face for a moment. “Is there any life on those, besides Earth?”

“No,” he says quietly. “Earth is… a bit behind compared to what I’ve seen today. We’ve only been to our moon. Physically that is. Other’s we’ve sent probes to but we really don’t get off our planet.”

“Oh.”

“I can show you some photos,” he offers. “If you want.”

A light sparked in her eyes, taking him aback for a moment by the sight of it. 

“I would love to see it,” she says, looking eager to see anything he had to show.

Digging into his bag, Ben rummaged around until her found the old tin he kept his photos in. He pulled it out and brushed off some lint that clung to the top. Rey took it from him with open hands, carefully popping the top off and peering down inside. Pulling the stack out she stared at the objects, then held them closer to her face trying to see the images.

Shoving his hands in again, this time Ben pulls out a small flashlight, turning it on and shining it in her direction. Flashing him a quick smile first, Rey turns back to the pictures, looking at each for a long minute before moving on to the next. Watching her mouth open slowly, her awe is overly apparent as she gazed at the views and people he’s snapped over the years. The collection was mostly his favorite photos he’d taken, it was hard not to feel a touch of pride at her reaction to them.

“It’s so… green,” whispered Rey as she looked at one photo from Ireland.

“That’s a special photo actually,” spoke up Ben. “My mother’s family is from there, my great great grandmother I believe. After she found out I was going there for work demanded I took some photos.”

Stroking a finger across the glossy print, Rey looked at it a bit long then handed it back along with the stack and tin. He slipped it back inside but then tugged free the green landscape image she had been so taken with.

“Here,” he offered, his hand holding the photo out. “I have the negative back home so you can keep this one, if you want.”

Her eyes went wide as she took the photo from and held it carefully to her chest. “I… Thank you,” she whispered, sounding unsure what to say.

Giving her an easy smile, Ben turned off his flashlight and stored all of his items back into his bag. “You’re welcome. You look like you could use some green in your life.”

Pulling the picture away just enough to look at it, Rey nodded thoughtfully. “This is the nicest thing someone has ever done for me.”

A hot flush rose quickly to Ben’s cheeks, turning his face away he hid it from her. With a soft and awkward laugh he let his eyes trace some of the lines of Rey’s metal home.

“Have you been here long, alone that is?”

Still staring down at the photo in her hands, she nods once. “Yes, for almost as long as I can remember.”

“Don’t you have any friends?” he asked carefully.

“Friends?” Rey repeated sounding surprised. “No, not here. No on Jakku.”

A silence hung between them as Ben took in her words and she didn’t seem set on saying anything more. “That’s a shame,” he muttered quietly. “From what I’ve seen so far, you’re… nice.”

Looking at him, Rey’s eyes carefully roamed his length and Ben wasn’t sure what she must have thought of him. “What makes you say that?” she asked, seemingly unable to reach a conclusion.

Shrugging his shoulders he gives her a shy smile. “Well you’re helping me, someone you don’t even know. I would say that makes you kind.”

Looking down at the sand which was dark now, Rey flicked her fingers through it. “Thank you,” she softly said, giving Ben the impression no one had ever said such a thing to her before.

They sat quietly for a few more minutes but Rey got to her feet and waved for Ben to follow. He did, back into her metal home and she motioned to a place for him to sit while she sat on the edge of her hammock. “I have to go to sleep,” she started to explain, looking nervous and pensive.

Meeting his eyes, Rey’s gaze remained serious as she spoke. “Tomorrow I have to work and it’s clear you don’t understand this world. Here you work or die. I could see if maybe anyone passing through could take you along with them but I don’t know where you could go.”

Rubbing a hand over his chin, Ben scratched at his short beard. “I’m more than fine with working but I don’t know where I would go to either. I mean there has to be answers here, instead of going and getting loss who knows where, I’ll stay here. Would you be willing to show me what to do? I can help you, it’s the least I can do for the food and a place to sleep.”

“I can,” agreed Rey. “So long as you earn your share. I can barely feed myself some weeks with the way Unkar Plutt keeps changing the value of parts.”

“Who’s that?”

Looking a little grim, she pulled her legs up into the hammock and carefully crossed them. “He’s the scum that controls rations, has a habit of changing things by the week. It keeps us all on your toes I’m sure but it also keeps our stomachs mostly empty, and his full.”

“That sounds awful,” muttered Ben.

“It is,” she sighed. “There’s a mat next to you, it’s all I have you can sleep on. I have to be up just before light so try and sleep if you can.”

Turning and seeing the mat, Ben picked it up and gave Rey a reassuring smile. “Thank you,” he said really meaning it. “I’m use to dropping off at a moments notice so, I don’t think I’ll have a problem with that. Even with everything that happened today. Where I was working, back on Earth, it was place on the edge of war really so. This Jakku actually might be safer.”

Letting out a weak laugh, Rey stared at him with a questioning brow. Ben quickly shut his mouth and mumbled, “Good night then Rey.”

The stern expression of hers softened and Ben caught sight of a small reserved smile. “Good night Ben,” she replied before laying down and giving him her back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me forever to update this, but there should be more of this story coming a lot more frequently from now on. Thank for reading and comments are a writer's best friend!


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